Reusable holder for absorbent material

ABSTRACT

A reusable holder for absorbent material for absorbing menstrual flow is made from a liquid permeable inner layer affixed to an outer liquid impermeable layer at the peripheral edges to form a pouch between the two layers. An opening in the inner layer provides access to the pouch so that disposable or reusable absorbent material such as paper or cloth may be placed in the pouch to absorb menstrual flow. After use, the absorbent material may be removed from the pouch via the opening so that the used absorbent material may be disposed of or washed for re-use. Wings extending from the sides of the reusable holder allow the holder to be fastened around an undergarment to keep the holder in place. Alternatively, strings are attached to the reusable holder to allow it to be worn like a g-string.

RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. patent application claims the benefit of and expresslyincorporates by reference all of the disclosure of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/715, 890 of the same inventor, entitled “Pad Holder”,filed Oct. 19, 2012.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This U.S. patent application is directed to sanitary pads, and morespecifically, to a reusable holder allowing the use of reusable ordisposable for absorbent materials for absorbing menstrual flow.

BACKGROUND

Sanitary pads are absorbent items worn by women when they aremenstruating.

They generally comprise an absorbent portion for absorbing liquid andmay also include a mechanism for attachment or holding the pad in place.Sanitary pads may be worn with an undergarment.

In the past, materials such as knitted pads and menstrual aprons havebeen used during menstruation. Rags consisting of folded old cloth werepreviously used as well.

The advent of disposable sanitary pads was a marked improvement over thetechnologies that existed prior. Used primarily in more affluentcountries such as those in the western world and in other parts of theworld, disposable feminine sanitary pads provide numerous benefits,including hygienic, comfort, ease of use and other benefits.Unfortunately, the one-time use nature of a disposable sanitary padmeans that the cost of such pads is relatively high. Manufacturers takesteps to reduce cost, but the disposable nature of a one-time usesanitary pad means that users must continually spend money to purchasenew pads.

In disadvantaged countries and communities, personal income may be solow that disposable sanitary pads are simply not an option for purchase.Many women in such areas have to use discarded cloths or rags, or mustsimply improvise a sanitary pad out of materials such as paper, weeds,grass, clothes, or rags, or other such materials. As might be imagined,these materials may not provide a desired level of effectiveness,comfort, or safety. Further, they may not be readily available. Also,even if materials such as cloth or rags available, the lack of cleanwater in many poor disadvantaged countries prevents these improvisedsanitary napkins from being properly washed to allow re-use.

The difficulties experienced by women in these situations may cause themto fail to attend school or work. It is unfortunate that an issue whichis so readily solved in more affluent countries presents suchdifficulties for less fortunate women. A satisfactory solution to thisproblem therefore is a highly important issue which must be solved. Thedisclosure presented herein provides an affordable, easy, and cheap tomanufacture solution to these problems.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The foregoing purposes, as well as others that will be apparent areachieved generally by a reusable pad holder or holder (hereafter,“reusable holder or “holder”) for absorbent materials for absorbingmenstrual flow. The holder comprises a liquid permeable inner layer andan outer layer that are affixed together at the peripheral edges to forma pouch. An opening in the inner layer allows reusable or disposableabsorbent material such as paper or cloth to be inserted into the pad toabsorb menstrual flow. The absorbent material may be removed after useand replaced with new absorbent material. Wings extending from the padserve to hold the pad in place by hugging or wrapping around a user'sundergarment. Alternatively, instead of wings the holder may havestrings each end which are tied around the user's waist so that theholder can be worn like a bikini bottom or g-string. Other objects,features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent whenthe detailed description is considered in conjunction with the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will be hereinafter described with reference todrawings for the purpose of illustrating the foregoing and other aspectsof the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a top-down view of a reusable holder according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the holder of FIG. 1, taken alonglines 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the holder of FIG. 1, taken along3-3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the holder of FIG. 1 mounted on anundergarment with the holder in an open position.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the holder of FIG. 5 with the holder in aclosed position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1, showing absorbentmaterial being inserted into a pouch in the holder.

FIG. 8 is top view of an alternate embodiment of a holder.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the holder of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION

Various embodiments will be hereinafter described with reference todrawings for the purpose of illustrating the foregoing and other aspectsof the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, holder 100 comprises a body 102, an outer layer103, and a liquid permeable inner layer 106. As used herein, the term“inner” means the direction facing the body of the user while the term“outer” means the direction facing away from the user's body. In thepresent embodiment, liquid permeable inner layer 106 is a nylon meshfabric. Alternative materials are polyester, cotton, and natural andsynthetic fiber mesh. Outer layer 103 is preferably liquid impermeable.In the present embodiment, outer layer 103 is made of waterproof nylonfabric. Alternative materials are polyester, polyurethane, and anynatural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated to or coated with awaterproofing material.

Inner layer 106 is coupled, joined, or affixed to outer layer 103, alonga peripheral track 118, over a central portion 116 of the body 102, suchthat a pouch 115 is formed above central portion 116 and between theinner and outer layers 106, 103. In the present embodiment, inner layer106 is joined or affixed to outer layer 103 by a sewn joint. Othermethods such as gluing, heat, or fabric adhesives may also be used.

Inner layer 106 has an opening 119 such as a slit which provides accessto pouch 115 for insertion of an absorbent material 120. (FIGS. 1-4) Theliquid permeability of inner layer 106 allows for liquid to flow throughinner layer 106 into absorbent material 120 while holder 100 is in aworn position. Specifically, absorbent material 120 absorbs menstrualflow and other fluids when holder 100 is in position in an undergarment162 (FIGS. 5-6) such as a pair of panties. Opening 119 also allows forthe removal of absorbent material 120 (e.g., toilet paper) for disposalafter use. Alternatively, if the absorbent material 120 is cloth orother washable material, the soiled cloth may be removed for cleaningand re-use. Opening 119 and pouch 115 allows the user to insert andremove any absorbent material into pouch 115. Examples of absorbentmaterial 120 are cloth, paper (e.g. toilet paper), gauze, andprocessed/pretreated absorbent natural fibers such as banana bark,sisal, and cotton.

A lining 121 (FIGS. 1-3) is also provided around the periphery of holder100. Lining 121 is provided to ensure a comfortable interface betweenholder 100 and the wearer, and helps to prevent any irritation which maybe caused by contact between any rough edges of holder 100 and thewearer. Lining 121 preferably traces the perimeter of holder 100,including wings 104. In the present embodiment, lining 121 is made ofcotton although other natural materials which provide similarfunctionality such as rayon, linen, silk, or man-made fabricalternatives such as Lyocell and Modal® may also be used.

The holder 100 may be held in place by the use of wings 104 extendingfrom central portion 116 of body 102. Wings 104 preferably have aclasping or attachment mechanisms 114 such as Velcro®, buttons, snaps,hook and loop fasteners or other similar devices. In the presentembodiment, the attachment mechanism is Velcro®. Attachment mechanism114 allows holder 100 to be held in place while worn.

Preferably, wings 104 are wrapped around a portion 164 of anundergarment 162 and attachment mechanism 114 is engaged to keep theholder 100 in place. (FIGS. 4-6) This position is called the closedposition 180 and is shown in FIG. 6. The open position 160, in whichwings 104 are not engaged is shown in FIG. 5. In the present embodiment(FIG. 3) wings 104 are extensions of outer layer 106 and inner layer 103from central portion 116 of body 102 wherein the extension of innerlayer 103 is tucked between the extension of outer layer 103.

In an alternative embodiment (FIGS. 8-9), if the wearer or user does nothave access to undergarments, the wings may be replaced by two longstrings 202, 204 attached respectively to a front end 206 and a back end208 of a holder 200. Strings 202, 204 are tied around the waist of thewearer or user so that holder 200 can be worn like a G-string or bikinibottom.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the artthat numerous configurations and modifications are possible in light ofthe above disclosure. All such variations and modifications are intendedto be within the scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A reusable holder forming a sanitary padusing removable material absorbent of menstrual fluid, the reusableholder comprising: a menstrual fluid impermeable outer layer; amenstrual fluid permeable inner mesh layer made of a synthetic meshfabric affixed to the outer layer along a periphery of the inner meshlayer to form a pouch between the inner mesh layer and the outer layeralong a central portion of the reusable holder, the periphery definingopposing longitudinal edges and opposing end edges of the pouch, theinner mesh layer having an opening within the central portion of thereusable holder configured to provide access to the pouch, the innerlayer comprising a first piece of synthetic mesh fabric and a secondpiece of synthetic mesh fabric overlapping the first piece at theopening, wherein the opening is transverse to the longitudinal edges ofthe pouch and between one of the end edges and a central section of thelongitudinal edges, the pouch being configured to removably receiveremovable material absorbent of menstrual fluid; a pair of wingsextending from opposing lengths along the central section of thelongitudinal edges of the pouch; and an attachment mechanism disposed ata distal end of each of the wings; wherein when the reusable holder isattached to an undergarment by the pair of wings being wrapped aroundthe undergarment and attached to the undergarment by the attachmentmechanism and the removable material is placed in the pouch, thereusable holder forms a sanitary pad, wherein the central portion ispositioned relative to a wearer to absorb menstrual flow.
 2. Thereusable holder of claim 1, wherein the wings form a part of themenstrual fluid impermeable outer layer.
 3. The reusable holder of claim1, further comprising a lining along and around a periphery of thereusable holder.
 4. The reusable holder of claim 1, wherein thesynthetic mesh fabric comprises a nylon mesh fabric.
 5. The reusableholder of claim 1, wherein the synthetic mesh fabric comprises apolyester mesh fabric.
 6. The reusable holder of claim 1, wherein theopening comprises a slit in the inner layer extending across the centralportion of the reusable holder.
 7. The reusable holder of claim 1wherein the synthetic mesh fabric comprises synthetic material defininga fabric with open spaces such that menstrual fluid flows through theopen spaces of the synthetic mesh fabric and into the absorbent materialwhile the reusable holder is in a worn position.
 8. The reusable holderof claim 1, wherein the outer layer comprises a waterproof material. 9.The reusable holder of claim 1, wherein the synthetic mesh fabric isaffixed to the outer layer using a sewn joint along the periphery of theinner layer.
 10. A reusable holder forming a sanitary pad usingremovable material absorbent of menstrual fluid, the reusable holdercomprising: an outer layer constructed of a first material impermeableto menstrual fluid; and an inner layer constructed of a synthetic meshfabric permeable to menstrual fluid and affixed to the outer layer alonga peripheral edge of the inner layer to form a pouch along a centralportion of the reusable holder between the inner layer and the outerlayer, the peripheral edge defining opposing longitudinal edges andopposing end edges of the pouch, the inner layer having an opening inthe central portion of the reusable holder for providing access to thepouch, the inner layer comprising a first piece of synthetic mesh fabricand a second piece of synthetic mesh fabric overlapping the first pieceat the opening, wherein the opening is transverse to the longitudinaledges of the pouch and between one of the end edges and a centralsection of the longitudinal edges, wherein the pouch and the opening ofthe pouch are configured to removably receive the removable materialabsorbent of menstrual fluid; wherein the outer layer comprises wingsconstructed of the first material and extending from opposing lengthsalong the central section of the longitudinal edges of the pouch; and anattachment mechanism disposed at a distal end of each of the wings;wherein when the reusable holder is attached to an undergarment by thepair of wings being wrapped around the undergarment and attached to theundergarment by the attachment mechanism and the removable material isplaced in the pouch, the reusable holder forms a sanitary pad, whereinthe central portion of the reusable holder is positioned relative to awearer to absorb menstrual flow.
 11. The reusable holder of claim 10,further comprising: a lining along and around a periphery of thereusable holder.
 12. The reusable holder of claim 10, wherein thesynthetic mesh fabric comprises nylon mesh fabric.
 13. The reusableholder of claim 10, wherein the synthetic mesh fabric comprisespolyester mesh fabric.
 14. The reusable holder of claim 10, wherein theopening comprises a slit in the inner layer extending across the centralportion of the reusable holder.
 15. The reusable holder of claim 10,wherein the outer layer comprises a waterproof material.
 16. Thereusable holder of claim 10, wherein the synthetic mesh fabric isaffixed to the outer layer using a sewn joint along the peripheral edgeof the inner layer.
 17. The reusable holder of claim 10 wherein thesynthetic mesh fabric comprises synthetic material defining a fabricwith open spaces such that menstrual fluid flows through the open spacesof the synthetic mesh fabric and into the absorbent material while thereusable holder is in a worn position.